Bulk bin



1964 D. F. COFFEY, JR 3,159,300

BULK BIN Filed Sept. 19, 1961 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,159,300 BULK BIN Daniel F. Cofiey, in, Marinette, Wis, assignor to Marinette and Menominee Box Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Sept. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 139,193 4 Claims. (Cl. 217-65) This invention relates to a bulk bin.

The bulk bin of the present invention is primarily adapted to store and carry heavy loads of fruit and vegetables which are picked in the field and are placed directly in the bin. The bins will vary in size, depending upon the type of service for which they are intended, but will ordinarily be of such a size as to contain between 2,000 and 7,000 pounds of produce. The bins are handled in the field by fork lift trucks and the like and are conveyed therefrom to cold storage rooms where one bin is stacked on top of another. Accordingly, the bins of the present invention must be capable of withstanding very heavy loads.

Bulk bins embodying the present invention are characterized by the interconnection of the several side panels of the bin by metal bands which are recessed in communicating grooves formed in perimetrically aligned cleats which together encircle the bin in sets. Accordingly, the pressure of bin contents is distributed by the bands substantially uniformly about the periphery of the bin.

Moreover, mutually abutting ends of aligned cleats are formed with double miters, thus to relieve bending and other stresses on the band as it negotiates the corner. This results in a corner construction having maximum durability and strength. The side panels are further provided with marginal slats which function as corner blocks to contact abutting cleats in the corner of the bin. The corner blocks are interlocked under pressure of the bands.

Another advantage of bulk bins embodying the invention is the elimination of any means other than the bands to fasten the sides of the crate together above their connection to the bin bottom.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bulk bin embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation on a reduced scale showing stacked bulk bins.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Bulk bins embodying the invention may be made in any polygonal form, the rectangular outline thereof shown in the drawings being preferred. In this preferred embodiment the bin comprisesa bottom panel 8 which desirably has marginal skids or runners 9, and an intermediate skid or runner 10 on which the bin is elevated from the ground level to admit the forks of the fork lift truck or the like therebeneath. Corner blocks may also be provided to further elevate the bin. The several side panels '7 of the bin are separately fabricated and desirably consist of vertical slats 11 suit-ably fastened as by nails 13 to the laterally spaced horizontal band receiving cleats 12. Slats 11 may be laterally spaced somewhat for ventilation of bin contents.

The cleats 12 for each side panel 7 are correspondingly laterally spaced. Accordingly, when the respective side 3,15%,30h Patented Dec. 1, 1964 panels 7 are assembled onto the bottom panel 8, the cleats 12 will be perimetrically aligned and the grooves 14 formed externally in each cleat will communicate periph erally around the bin for each set of cleats thus formed.

The bottom margins of the side panels 7 are attached to the bottom panel 8, as by nails 17. Above the bottom panel the only connection between the side panels 7 is by reason of the metal bands 18 which for each set of cleats are recessed in the grooves 14 and encircle the bin. The bands are tightened sufliciently to securely hold the sides together under band tension.

The upright slats 11 in the corners of the bin interlock as shown in FIG. 1, thus to accurately position the side panels, one with respect to the other. To this end, slats 11a are closer to the end of cleats 12 than are slats 11b, thus to leave room for the edge of slat 11b to butt the side margin of slat 11a.

Moreover, the ends of each cleat 12 have a double miter. The inner miter is at 1% and the outer miter is at 19a. The sharp corner thus formed is bevelled or mitered at 20. Accordingly, the band 18 will bend around the corner in two stages where it passes over the outer miters 19a and will be relieved of contact with the cleat across the miters 20, thus to relieve distortion pressures which might otherwise be applied to the band at the bin corners.

Note from FIG. 3 that the slats 11 of end panels bear in end abutment on the runners 9 which constitute hearing plates. Accordingly, when fully loaded bins are stacked one upon the other as shown in FIG. 2, the weight of the entire stack is directly communicated to the loadbearing floor through the vertically oriented end panel slats l1 and bearing plates 9.

By reason of the bands 18, very heavy loads can be carried in the bins because bursting pressure of bin contents is distributed by the bands substantially uniformly about the bin. For this purpose the bands are free of any positive connection with the cleats-and are held within the grooves 14 by their own tension. Accordingly, any pressure exerted on a band at any point around the bin periphery is freely communicated and distributed by the band completely around the bin. The cleats 12 confine the bands 18 against dislocation and reinforce the bin side panels at their upper and lower margins and also medially therebetween.

I claim:

1. A rigid polygonal bulk bin having side panels which intersect at a plurality of corners, said side panels each including laterally spaced externally grooved cleats which align perimetrically about the bin and are in end abutment at said corners to constitute laterally spaced sets of cleats with communicating grooves, the respective ends of abutting cleats at each corner having inner and outer miters, means for holding each said corner in rigid assembly and for distributing the pressure of bin contents substantially uniformly about the bin and comprising tensioned bands which are free of any positive connection with the cleats and are recessed in the communicating grooves of each set of cleats and which hold the cleat ends together by reason of their tension, said bands encircling the bin and spanning across the joint formed by said abutting ends in contact with said outer miters and pressing said inner miters in face contact, said bands being free to transmit pressure at any point thereon completely around the bin.

3 H 2; The bin of claim 1 in which the respective side panels have corner blocks interlocked under gressure of the bands to help hold the corners in rigid assembly.

3. The bin of claim 1 in which the cleat ends at the intersections of said inner and outer miters are bevelled 5 v to provide a space between the cleat ends and the bands 4. The =bin of claim 1 which further comprises a bottom panel, means connecting the bottom panel to lower margins of the side panels, said bands constituting the sole means for holding the side panels together above the level 10 of the bottom panels.

References Cited in 4| the file of this patent 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS Foreman July 25, 1933 Henderson May 26, 1936 Koester Apr. 24, 1956 Poley June 16, 1959 Kordowsk-i Apr. 25, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 26, 1921 

1. A RIGID POLYGONAL BULK BIN HAVING SIDE PANELS WHICH INTERSECT AT A PLURALITY OF CORNERS, SAID SIDE PANELS EACH INCLUDING LATERALLY SPACED EXTERNALLY GROOVED CLEATS WHICH ALIGN PERIMETRICALLY ABOUT THE BIN AND ARE IN END ABUTMENT AT SAID CORNERS TO CONSTITUTE LATERALLY SPACED SETS OF CLEATS WITH COMMUNICATING GROOVES, THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF ABUTTING CLEATS AT EACH CORNER HAVING INNER AND OUTER MITERS, MEANS FOR HOLDING EACH SAID CORNER IN RIGID ASSEMBLY AND FOR DISTRIBUTING THE PRESSURE OF BIN CONTENTS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY ABOUT THE BIN AND COMPRISING TENSIONED BANDS WHICH ARE FREE OF ANY POSITIVE CONNECTION WITH THE CLEATS AND ARE RECESSED IN THE COMMUNICATING GROOVES OF EACH SET OF CLEATS AND WHICH HOLD THE CLEAT ENDS TOGETHER BY REASON OF THEIR TENSION, SAID BANDS ENCIRCLING THE BIN AND SPANNING ACROSS THE JOINT FORMED BY SAID ABUTTING ENDS IN CONTACT WITH SAID OUTER MITERS AND PRESSING SAID INNER MITERS IN FACE CONTACT, SAID BANDS BEING FREE TO TRANSMIT PRESSURE AT ANY POINT THEREON COMPLETELY AROUND THE BIN. 